It all started in the autumn of 2014, when I was tensed in my lousy and comfy Mumbai apartment wondering about what next in life. I never knew an opportunity would knock at my door so soon, which would be like a lifetime one for language enthusiasts resembling me. Bangalore was calling to start a wonderful path in life, which I longed to take. September was full of tension, stress and the will to get a job ASAP in my field of interest, when suddenly one of my seniors paved a way for this life changing interview at Bosch. It went well, I could have been much better though since it was one of my dream companies. I was bound to get nervous. It did not stop at that, there were more frequent rounds and the wait was long but worth it.

In the meanwhile I occupied myself with my MBA classes and projects, enjoying the third semester and exploring the unknown part of the city of Mumbai, meeting and greeting new friends, slogging over projects and missing home at times. I left Mumbai in October for my internship in November and December, realizing in the month of January that another bustling city on the map of India had different plans.

I moved to Bangalore on 21^st January, the train journey through Karnataka was fun, along the way the explorer inside me did not stop; I made it a point to enjoy all the delicacies that were served along the way. One of the fondest memories will be the soft and spongy Idlis that I had at Hubli. The coconut chutney had a perfect blend of spices and condiments. Finally, my first day at work arrived; it was like a normal first day where all things seemed new, fresh and exciting. I moved into Bosch guest house at Silk Board, an adjoining area which connects the heart of the city Koramangala to Electronic City. Koramangala is filled to delight in the evenings. People from all grounds and walks of life can be seen here shopping, eating the famous kebabs served here and displaying a stellar standard of living.

It was because of this that I decided to stay nearby this area as it was well connected, cosmopolitan and had a very exhilarating night life to boast of. Adugodi is the place, where I found my abode due to some really amazing friends who helped me effortlessly to settle down here. I like the rhythm of the city, it is similar to Pune, my Pune 🙂 , though I thoroughly miss Mom at each and every stage, it was not difficult getting accustomed to the food habits and the living style as South Indian cuisines is one of my favourite and believe me or not the Rasam and the idlis have won me over. The only thing that I hate here is that I have not been able to get the perfect Pani Puri and that is annoying. Pani Puri keeps me going, but the search is on and I am sure I will discover some place soon.

Nothing can be compared to Mumbai public transport and this is one more thing that took time to figure out, the bus routes, the notorious autowallas who charged hilarious amounts, literally hilarious amounts to go from one place to another and the flip side, they all are united, not one person will be ready to change the fare or take the correct fare as per the meter. Anyways as I explore the city further, many people have suggested some really cost- effective ways of escaping these notorious people. Once the bus routes are clear, life becomes a bit easier. At the same time planning your time is the key to survive here. One hour has to be kept buffer because the traffic will never change. Peak times are a mundane thing here. I utilized my mundane time with books , sleep and music. Sometimes reading Kannada too. In the next few months I plan to grasp the basic Kannada vocabulary since language breaks all barriers. Though “ check madi” and “ Kannada Gothilla” does come to your rescue, a bit more than that to the extent of “ ondu, erdu, muru, “ and “ yenmadti”, will make you feel at home.

Bangalore has a fast pace, but the people I have found out are culture driven and family oriented. Parties are surely a hit but the true Bangalorean will know his/her limit. The working class in this city and the young blood make this city active and happening. Classic would be the right word to define the lifestyle here. It is clean and well maintained. In comparison to the cities of Pune and Mumbai, this city has lot of motivation to make you grow and explore. My further plans are to explore the south, Pondicherry, Chennai, Hyderabad, Mysore, Madkeri, Coorg, Kodaikanal, Ooty and then Mini Goa which is Gokarna. As work gets interesting and projects get intense weekends should be fully utilized.

I visited a Botanical garden and some happening places in the vicinity over some free time I got here with IGTC friends and some others. I am myself surprised that I was able to locate and connect with many of my friends here with whom I have spent quality time in the past. Looking forward to more connectedness and bonding. 🙂

Office is still in the training phase for me, so would not be able to share much. I like the work culture, the food is terrific, sometimes supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, I have made few but kind hearted friends, my boss is very motivating, my direct colleague helps me with all the difficulties , she is an angel and its corporate after all. Work involves German, SAP and lots of technical stuff which needs attention but I hope to grasp it soon. And the social learning fostering that I yearned for, is there at Bosch.

That’s about Bangalore for now 🙂